Alien Isolation - AI.exe crash after 20mins-30mins

[Pamda]

I've been having issues playing Alien: Isolation on PC for quite some time. Initially, I played through the entire game with no crashes or noticeable glitches at all.
It's an absolutely fantastic game, and I'd very much like to get it working properly again. What's happening is that I'm getting an AI.exe crash that seems to occur in no particular situation. I could be just walking along with no NPCs in close proximity to me, and it kicks me out to the desktop. I've noticed that this crash can be within 5mins of play or even after a few hours, but normally between 20mins-30mins.

These are some of the fixes I have tried:
- A suggested fix by a sega representative involving editing the ClientRegistry.blob to ClientRegistryOld.blob and verifying the game twice on Steam.
- Updating Nvidia drivers (I have the latest one now, 375.95). None of them have worked after the 340.00s (but I need later ones for all of my other games).
- Running in Boarderless Window Mode.
- Turning V-sync off.
- Disconnecting and uninstalling my capture card.
- Directly plugging the HDMI to the TV instead of going through the receiver.
- Playing with a headset instead of my surround sound system.
- Changing settings within Nvidia control panel (3D settings: force V-sync, single display performance mode, etc.).
- Tried using GeForce experience to optimise the game, but it's not a supported feature for Alien: Isolation.
- Disabled the firewall, and also tried giving the relevant files unrestricted access.
- Checking for viruses.
- Disabling all unused sound channels.
- Running AI.exe in Windows 7 compatibility mode, with administrator permissions.
- I don't have TeamViewer.

Initially, I played the game all the way through twice with no problems at all. Now it is the only game I have problems with (it's been that way for ages).
I'm willing to try a Windows update, but not unless you know the exact files that Alien: Isolation needs. Updating Windows could screw up other things (eg. KB100,etc,etc, was one of only two files that I needed to update, in order for my Xbox One controller to work). So if you know the correct files to update I'd give it a try.

My rig is:
Windows 7.64
Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti Xtreme 6GB Edition
IntelCore i7-4930K (3.8GHZ)
Kingston Hyper-X 16GB RAM (2400MHZ)
*I'm also using a Sony Bravia and a receiver, if that makes any difference (the game used to work when I was using a regular PC monitor with Logitech speakers, but everything else runs, I don't see this being the problem).


I hope that someone can help me. It's one of my favourite games, and while it is playable, the crashes are a huge pain. Thanks in advance to anyone who attempts to help me :)

[cheshirm]

if it is crashing there should be an entry in the windows event viewer. what does that say?

[cheshirm]

also you played the entire game thru twice with no problems. so you have all the correct software/hardware/file permissions/firewall permissions, etc something changed. did you start with mouse/keyboard and now using controller/gamepad? change from wired mouse/keyboard to wireless? changed from pc monitor to tv? did you install a new program?
did you install a new service? a new task might be firing off from the task manager?
something is different from the first two playthroughs.

[Pamda]

Thank you for trying to help, I really appreciate it :)

It says:
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: AI.exe
Application Version: 0.0.0.0
Application Timestamp: 54e3199d
Fault Module Name: AI.exe
Fault Module Version: 0.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 54e3199d
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00989f98
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.1
Locale ID: 3081
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

That was my thought as well. What's changed is I have new drivers which I need for new games, I'm now using a TV and a receiver, and I was using an Xbox 360 controller which has been replaced by an Xbox One controller. Though I think in the case of the controller, the issue was already there before I changed it. That's all I can think of, excluding subtle program changes due to new programs, updates, etc, that I would be unaware of. I seem to remember it working with drivers in the 340.00s but, they don't work with a few of my newer games.

I think it might be because I'm using a TV and a receiver (I don't remember issues before then), maybe they game just doesn't run well on that kind of set up, but all my other games work fine:
Total War: Warhammer, Dark Souls III, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Fallout 4, Far Cry Primal, The Witcher 1, 2, 3

[cheshirm]

this is a common c++ error "Exception Code: c0000005" but if you didnt have the
libraries, it wouldnt run for 20-30 min then fail and most if not all your games would have same error.

suggestion to see if the OS is killing the game:
play the game then write down exactly when it crashes.
immediately restart the game then write down exactly when it crashes.
immediately restart the game then write down exactly when it crashes.
the OS may be starting a task/service at 7:00 then 7:20 then 7:40 killing the game.
if you start at 7:10, then only 5 mins go by before a crash then 20 min after restart.
but if you started just before 7 then all your crashes would seem to be 20 mins apart.
some timers/task/services run on the hour/etc and others x minutes from when OS booted.

another thing to try would be unplug controllers and TV and use mouse/keyboard/monitor
to see if problem still occurs.

or something else might be wrong. upgrading to win 10 is another option.

[Pamda]

Alright thanks :) I'll give it a go. I'll let you know what I find.

[Pamda]

Well, I looked in the Event Viewer and found that Desktop Manager was starting and then failing just before the AI.exe crash. I stopped Desktop Manager and set it to manual but that didn't solve the problem. I had one of the longer runs that I get, today (from 10:30am - 1:20pm). I then checked the Event Viewer after I got the AI.exe crash, but there was nothing there before it did, other than essential Windows security programs. They started minutes after I launched Alien: Isolation, but they were never active again. I'm talking to Sega support, but they are abysmal.. Not reading my emails, asking me to try things that I already told them I did, clearly reponding to me with nothing but templates.

I'm about ready to give up on it. The problem is everywhere, as you can see looking through the forums. If I'm getting 20mins-30mins of play with fairly regular 1.5hr-3hr play times, I can live with that I suppose.

If you have any other suggestions, I'm willing to try. Otherwise, thank you so much for trying to help me, I really appreciate it! :)

[cheshirm]

still strange. I have older hardware - i7 2400 and nvidia 750ti and the game did not crash when I was running win 7. have win 10 now and still hasnt crashed.

perhaps trying a "clean boot" then playing.
if it doesnt crash then its one of the non MS services that you disabled.

[Pamda]

It worked for me on my same system (except I had a GTX 780 at the time), it stopped working at some point while I had that card. I really think it's just the TV/receiver combo, or a driver issue. Do you mind telling me which driver you're using (if it's Nvidia)? If it's an old one the 980 Ti won't have a compatible version, but it doesn't hurt to check :)

[cheshirm]

375.86.

[Pamda]

It works now!!!
After talking with an Nvidia representative, my Dad who's been in IT for decades, showed me how to use D.U.U., when we did, it showed that I had remnants of two old graphics cards (GTX 780, and 460) and their drivers on my system. Completing the clean install of the new driver fixed my problem. Alien: Isolation has worked flawlessly since then (9hrs of tested gameplay).

The driver I'm now using is 376.19 (GTX 980 Ti, Win 7-64).


Thank you very much for trying to help me throughout

[Byeohazard]

Originally posted by Frosty:

It works now!!!
After talking with an Nvidia representative, my Dad who's been in IT for decades, showed me how to use D.U.U., when we did, it showed that I had remnants of two old graphics cards (GTX 780, and 460) and their drivers on my system. Completing the clean install of the new driver fixed my problem. Alien: Isolation has worked flawlessly since then (9hrs of tested gameplay).

The driver I'm now using is 376.19 (GTX 980 Ti, Win 7-64).


Thank you very much for trying to help me throughout

for those unfamilair with D.U.U ( I wasn't sure what D.U.U was so l looked it up)

http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

[God Infamous]

Originally posted by Byeohazard:

Originally posted by Frosty:

It works now!!!
After talking with an Nvidia representative, my Dad who's been in IT for decades, showed me how to use D.U.U., when we did, it showed that I had remnants of two old graphics cards (GTX 780, and 460) and their drivers on my system. Completing the clean install of the new driver fixed my problem. Alien: Isolation has worked flawlessly since then (9hrs of tested gameplay).

The driver I'm now using is 376.19 (GTX 980 Ti, Win 7-64).


Thank you very much for trying to help me throughout

for those unfamilair with D.U.U ( I wasn't sure what D.U.U was so l looked it up)

http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

OMG THIS WORKS!!! I had some remnants of old drivers for my 1080TI!!! Thank you so much!

[ibad.rahman]

Hi all, I am VERY late to this party, but I am having the same issue in 2020, and I have an Nvidia card. Are there any fixes yet? Some of you mentioned changing the game's frame rate, but there is no setting to do this in the game. I went into my Nvidia control panel and the Refresh rate was set to 59 (my PC is connected to my TV). I tried changing it to 60 and it made no difference.

does anyone have any idea how to fix this?

[divinehand]

Originally posted by ibad.rahman:

Hi all, I am VERY late to this party, but I am having the same issue in 2020, and I have an Nvidia card. Are there any fixes yet? Some of you mentioned changing the game's frame rate, but there is no setting to do this in the game. I went into my Nvidia control panel and the Refresh rate was set to 59 (my PC is connected to my TV). I tried changing it to 60 and it made no difference.

does anyone have any idea how to fix this?

year 2021 i have the same ♥♥♥♥ problem. they didnt fixed. and 1:00 AM i am looking for a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ solution at the google